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The Jews of 
Newport 



-BY— 



LLON HUHNLR, A. M. LL B. 

[I 



Address delivered on the Occasion of 

Unveiling the Memorial Tablet in 

the Old Jewish Synagogue 

at Newport, Rhode Island, 

September?, 1908 



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THL JLW5 OF NEWPORT 



By LLON HUHNLR, A. M. LL. B. 

Curator of the Amrrican 
/rzL'isli Historical Soctctv. 




MEMORIAL TABLET AT NEWPORT, R. L 
2 



The Jews of Newport 

By LLON HUHNLR, A. M. LL. B. 

Curator of the American J czctsh Historical Society 



npHE dedication of a memorial tablet in this historic edifice, is 
* full of interest both to Jew and Gentile and conjures up 
the memories of the past. To the world in general, this building 
is one of the colonial landmarks of Rhode Island, associated 
with the names oi her merchant princes and connected with 
historic events of Revolutionary times. To the Jew, Newport 
has always been a cherished name, for here it was that civil and 
religious liberty were first firmly established by that illustrious 
champion of the brotherhood of man, Roger Williams. 

True it is, that Maryland and Pennsylvania claim that 
honor also, but it must be remembered, that the one was found- 
ed primarily as a refuge for Roman Catholics, the other as a re- 
fuge for the persecuted Quaker, and in both the fundamental 
doctrine was toleration rather than religious liberty. Roger 
WilliaT>s on the other hand, founded his colony as a refuge for 
all mankind in those immortal words of his : ' 'I desire not that 
liberty to myself, which I would not freely and impartially 
weigh out to all the consciences ot tbe world beside. " 

Like the great temple in Rome, dedicated to all the gods, so 
Rhode Island became the Pantheon for all sects and vU creeds, 
irrespective of race or nation. 

3 



Kor did the Jews abuse this liberality, for nowhere did they 
leave a prouder record of the past, than in this very city. While 
found as pioneers in each of the thirteen original colonies, it 
may fairly be said that nowhere did they exert a greater or a 
more beneficial influence than in Colonial Newport. 

Jews settled here as early as 1658, exactly two hundred and 
fifty years ago, when fifteen Jewish families arrived from Hol- 
land bringing with them the first three degrees of Masonry. It 
has also been suggested that some settled even earlier coming 
from Curacoa and from New Amsterdam. Their numbers in- 
creased from time to time, several families settling here from 
the West Indies in 1694. 

Early in the eighteenth century, a considerable trade sprang 
up between Newport, Portugal and the West Indies and in de- 
veloping this, the Jewish settlers brought the town to the 
height of its commercial prosperity. 

The magnificent b arbor of Newport destined her to become 
a foremost port; situate between the New England colonies and 
the rest, she had every advantage for commercial enterprise. 
The Jewish settlers speaking various languages, particularly 
French, Dutch, Spanish and Portuguese, and having their kin 
scattered throughout the most distant parts of the globe, pos- 
sessed advantages for commerce, posessed by no other nation ; 
namely, reliable correspondents of their own race and blood; 
an advantage of immeasurable importance before the age of the 
railroad and the telegraph. 

Between 1740 and 1760 there came to Newport a number of 
enterprising Jewish merchants, mostly refugees from the Por- 
tuguese Inquisition, and local historians have pointed out that 
only after their advent, did Newport become a great commer- 
cial centre, culminating in a period of prosperity when a man 

4 



' 'was thought a bold prophet who said that New York might 
one day equal Newport." 

Many of these men were indeed "Captains of I odustry". The 
names of Rivera, Lopez, Hart and Seixas are still cherished iQ 
this community. Jacob Rodriguez Rivera settled here about 
1745 and introduced the manufacture of sperm oil, so that New- 
port soon had seventeen manufacturies of oil and candles, en- 
joying a monopoly of the trade in America. 

But it is unnecessary to recapitulate at this time the story of 
the careers of these Jewish merchants, the Levys, Pollocks and 
the rest. That has been told over and over again ; and in an 
elaborate address delivered many years ago by Governor Coz- 
zens of Rhode Island, is given in detail an account of their 
great influence in developing the trade and commerce of the 
coloay. George William Curtis, Tuckerman, Mason, Dennison, 
Arnold and other writers, have likewise paid their tribute to 
the influence exercised for colonial prosperity by this class of 
settlers, and all alike have lauded their genius, character and 
integrity. 

Perhaps I may be pardoned however, for mentioning one more 
name, intimately associated with this edifice, the President of 
this Congregation before the American Revolution, a name that 
stands pre-eminent among these great merchants of the past — 
Aaron Lopez. He settled here about 1750, and in the wor^s of 
the late Judge Charles P. Daly "To him, in a larger degree than 
to anyone else, was due the rapid commercial development that 
followed, and which made Newport for a quarter of a century 
afterward, the most formidable rival of New York." Owing to 
him more than forty Jewish families settled here, and fourteen 
years after his arrival the town had one hundred and fifty ves- 
sels engaged in the West Indian trade alone. At the beginning 

5 



of the American Revolution he was the owner of thirty vegsels 
engaged in European and West Indian trade, his ships going to 
the Falkland Islands on the one hand and to Africa on tbe other. 
Ezra Stiles, the patriot President of Yale College states, that 
"for honor atd extent of commerce he was probably surpassed 
by no merchant in America." 

The great earthquake at Lisbon brought additional Jewish 
settlers, and by ihe outbreak of the American Revolution, 
Tuckerman claims that there were eleven hundred and seventy- 
five Jews at Newport, aad that more than three hundred wor- 
shipped in this very synagogue. What is now the north side of 
the Mall was once covered with Jewish residences. 

Some Jewish houses are still standing, among others, the 
Rivera house, next to that of Ezra Stiles, and the Seixas house 
which later became the home of Commodore Perry. 

It has frequently been said that civil and religious liberty 
makes good citizens, and certainly the various writers of the 
history of Newport agree that the Jews were such. "From a 
close examination of the records of our courts of justice," says 
Mr. Hunter in an address delivered more than half a century 
ago, "I find against no oce of the Hebrew faith an indictment, 
nor in any tradition, an accusation or reproach." Jews were 
numbered among the founders of the Redwood Library in the 
middle of the eighteenth century, and gave liberally toward its 
support. They numbered among their friends some of the most 
cultured families in this community. 

But these great merchants did not forget their ancestral 
faith in the days of their prosperity. A congregation seems to 
have been established as early as, 1658, though worship took 
place in private houses. The Rev. Isaac Touro to whom this 
lablet is dedicated in part, became its rabbi about 1760, and here 
he remained until the outbreak of the Revolutionary War. 

6 



This buildins: svas erected by Peter Harrison, the associate 
of Van Brugh in constructing the famous palace at Woodstock. 
It was commenced in 1762 and finibhed the following year, and 
was made possible by the generosity of these very Spanish and 
Portuguese merchants, Lopez and Rivera and the rest. At its 
dedication the prominent citizens of the town attended, and a 
most charming description of the ceremony has come down to 
us from the pen of one of those present, the famous scholar, 
Ezra Stiles, bubsequently President of Yale. 

And this building is indeed rich in historic associations. 
Prom this very pulpit preached Isaac Touro, here worshipped 
Rivera and Lopez. Hither too, came many prominent visitors, 
recorded by Dr. Stiles. In that pew yonder sat illustrious col- 
onial personages. Governor Wanton, Judge Oliver, Judge 
Auchmuty and others who visited here on festival days. 

Here was cemented that firm friendship between Touro, 
Lopez and Dr. Stiles, the last of whom received instruction 
in Hebrew from its minister. Within these very walls also, met 
the General Assembly of Rhode Island for the first time after 
the evacuation of Newport by the British in September 1780, 
and here also, tradition has it, visited our illustrious George 
Washington in 1790. 

Nowhere in colonial times came so many rabbis from the 
most out of the way portions of the globe, as to Newport. Dr. 
Stiles mentions meeting here a Rabbi Malki from Palestine, a 
Rabbi Moses from Poland in 1772, his friend Rabbi Karigal from 
Hebron in the Holy Land, who preached in this very building 
in Spanish; Rabbi Tobiah from Poland who preached in Dutch, 
Rabbi Bosquila from Smyrna ani Rabbi Cohen from Jeru-alem. 

When the Revolution broke out, these great merchants 
were patriotic Americans ; they closed this building rather than 

7 



contimie under the British, they relinquished much of their 
wealth, several joined the army and the rest scattered to 
American strongholds, a large group settling at Leicester in 
Massachusetts. This included the Rivera, Lopez and Seixas 
families. 

They lived at Leicester till the close of the Revolution and 
their character is appreciatively summed up by the historian of 
Leicester, the eminent Judge Emory Washburn, in the follow- 
ing words : 

"Though diffdring from their neighbors in matters of 
religious faith, they won the confidence and esteem of all by 
their upright and honorable dealing, the kindliness and court- 
esy of their intercourse and the liberality and public spirit 
which they evinced as citizens." 

"Though without a place of assembly for worship here, 
they rigidly observed the rites and requirements of their own 
laws, keeping Saturday as holy time, but out of regard to the 
sentiments of the people among whom they were settled, care- 
fully kept their stores closed from Friday until Monday morning 
of each week." 

The War for Independence destroyed Newport's commercial 
supremacy. Her great merchants had suffered severe losses and 
most of the Jews went to New York and elsewhere after the 
war. Some returned to Newport, opened their synagogue and 
in 1790 addressed President Washington, the original of whose 
reply is still extant. This edifice was closed in 1791 , and so 
remained for about sixty years. During that period but few 
Jews resided here; yet so fond were the memories clustering 
about the place, that many of the former residents and their 
descendants made it their dying request, to be interred in the 
little cemetery near here, the Old Jewish Cemetery purchased 
in 1677. 



There they sleep, those worthies of a past age, Seixas, 
Levy, Hays, and Rivera. There too, is the Lopez gravestone 
with its eloquent inscription, the tribute of the great President 
of Yale College. There also lie the Touro brothers whose mem- 
ory we honor to-day. 

Abraham and Judah Touro were noMe representatives of 
these colonial citizens. Born in Newport, but living far away, 
throughout their career, both remembered their native city 
both during their lives and after. Both led spotless lives, un- 
iversally respected. It was Abraham Touro who bequeathed 
a sum for perpetually keeping this historic structure in repair. 
It was Judah Touro who replaced the old cemetery wall by 
the present gateway, and left a fund for its preservation, 
as well as for the payment of a minister's salary for this com- 
munity. 

Born here in 1775 Judah Touro repeatedly favored the 
place of his birth. Though living in New Orleans, it was he who 
saved from demolition, the old Round Tower or old Stone Mill 
as it is frequently called, purchasing it with the surrounding 
ground, and presenting it to your community, a gift you have 
perpetuated in the name of Touro Park. It is not too much to 
say that he was perhaps the first great American philanthrop- 
ist, knowing neither distinction of race or creed in his bounty, 
restoring a church building to a poor Universalist congregation, 
— he, the founder of the New Orleans Alms House, the bene- 
factor of the Massachusetts Female Hospital, the Female Asy- 
lum, the Boys Asylum of Boston, your own Redwood Library 
and many other worthy institutions. His will, in 1854 created 
a sensation throughout the world, by giving a princely fortune 
enormous for that day, entirely to charity both to the North 
and to the South. 



His funeral was attended by the Municipal authorities of 
Newport and the cortege is stated not to have been equalled 
since the interment of Commod(^re Perry in 1826. During the 
progress of the procession the bell of old Trinity and those of the 
other churches were tolled, and all places of business were clos- 
ed. In the old cemetery yonder he sleeps ; as his tombstone tells 
us: "The last of his name, he inscribed it in the book of phil- 
anthropy, to be remembered forever." 

Judah Touro was as publ'c spirited as he was charitable. He 
almost gave his life for his country, being severely wounded 
while fighting under Jackson at the Battle of New Orleans; 
and he it was who, with Amos Lawrence, supplied the funds for 
completing Bunker Hill Monument. 

At Fanuiel Hall, Boston, these two men were eulogizel in 
the following verse : 

"Amos and Touro, venerated names. 

Patriarch and Prophet press their equal claims. 

Christian and Jew, they carry out one plan. 

For though of different faith, each is in heart, a man." 

John Quincy Adams, Daniel Webster, Joseph Story and 
Edward Everett were the illustrious committee appointed to 
prepare an inscription for a tablet to be placed in the monu- 
ment, to record the liberality of Lawrence and Touro. 

What wonder then, that Newport has always cherished the 
memory of citizens like these Jews of the past ; nor is it surpris- 
ing that a visitor in later years, when Jews no longer resided 
here, — I refer to Longfellow, —sang of them: 

"Gone are the living, but the dead remain, 

And not neglected; for a hand unseen. 

Scattering its bounty, like a summer rain, 

Still keeps their graves and their remembrance green." 

10 



There is still another name on the tablet yoa dedicate to- 
day, that of the Rev. Abraham Pereira Mendes, who becoming 
pastor of a new congregation in a later age, when this old 
synagogue was opened again, was thoroughly imbued with the 
lofty traditions of the past, and strove to realize the ideals of 
those departed worthies. 

But after all, this marble tablet is for the living rather than 
for the dead. The name of Touro will forever be enshrined in 
the grateful remembrance of the citizens of Newport, both Jew 
and Gentile. This tablet may serve as a reminder to the living, 
of the virtues of the departed and the esteem in which they 
were held, and inspire the Jews of the present day to live up to 
those high standards of manhood and citizenship, so tbat the 
hope expressed by the "Father of his Country", in his letter to 
the Jewish citizens of Newport, may be repeated anew in the 
same spirit, by the entire community, in every generation. To 
use Washington's own words : 

"May the children of the stock of Abraham, who dwell in 
this land, continue to merit and enjoy the good will of the other 
inhabitants — while every one shall sit in safety under his own 
vine and fig tree and there shall be none to make him afraid." 




11 



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